Martyr, born in London, 1551;
died at Tyburn, London, 7 February, 1578. His parents also
suffered for their conscience, both enduring imprisonment for the
Faith. After leaving school in 1566, Thomas assisted his father, a
London woollen draper, for about ten years; then, feeling that his
vocation was to the priesthood, he made arrangements to go to
Douay College and was in London settling his affairs, and
obtaining the means for his support and education. While so
engaged he was recognized in Chancery Lane and betrayed by George
Marten, son of Lady Tregonwell. Being examined before the Recorder
as to his opinion of the bull of Pius V and as to whether an
excommunicated queen held lawful sovereignty, he denied all
knowledge of both Bull and excommunication, but expressed his
opinion that if the queen were indeed excommunicated her rule
could not be lawful. He was detained at Westminster, where the
attorney-general visited him and found him constant in that
opinion. On 17 November, 1577, he was committed to the Tower by
the Privy Council to be retained close prisoner, from conference
with any person, and if he did not willingly confess such things
as were demanded of him, he was to be committed to the dungeon
amongst the rats. He was repeatedly examined, and twice racked in
order to elicit where he had heard Mass and who had been present
thereat, but his constancy was unshaken. After being racked, he
was cast into a dark and fetid dungeon, where he was kept
absolutely without clothes, without food, and with nothing but the
bare earth to lie upon. His friends were not allowed to supply his
needs, and the utmost concession that William Romper could obtain
was permission to supply him with straw to lie upon. He was
brought to trial on 3 February, and pronounced guilty of high
treason for denying the queen s supremacy; four days later he was
executed. He was a man of good wit and judgment and, being well
instructed in religious matters, was very helpful to many poor
Catholics. Small in stature, he was of healthy constitution and of
a cheerful disposition, which he maintained even amidst his
torture.
Vatican Archives;
PERSONS, Memoirs in Cath. Rec. Soc., II (London, 1906), documents
in the Public Record Office; Tower Bills in Cath. Rec. Soc., III;
POLLEN, Acts of English Martyrs (London, 1891); CHALLONER, Memoirs
of the Missionary Priests.
J. L. Whitfield.
